Skating with Zuko
by Kalira69
Summary: Sokka loves being on the ice, and he's even happier to be going with his boyfriend - the only problem is, Zuko apparently has no idea how to skate. (Modern AU. Fluff.)


There may have been a bit of a bounce in Sokka's step as the rink came into view.

Zuko was certainly smiling faintly at him in the precise way that Sokka had used to see as smug superiority, like he was making taunting comments in his head. Of course, then Sokka had got to _know_ Zuko and learned that he was an awkward turtle duck who could hardly make those kinds of comments if he _tried_. Mostly when Zuko said offensive things it was entirely by accident and sometimes - often - he didn't even realise.

"Awesome! Looking forward to this as much as I am?" Sokka asked, tugging Zuko's hand lightly.

"Er. . ." Zuko paused, looking up at the building with trepidation. "Sure?"

Sokka eyed his boyfriend curiously, but only drew him inside and paid the admission fee for them both. "You all right?" he asked once they stood at the counter to borrow skates.

"I'm fine." Zuko said with a nod, though his nose wrinkled with distaste when he had to exchange his shoes for the provided pair of skates. Sokka had expected that, and patted him reassuringly on the arm.

"You'll survive, babe." Sokka teased, shooting an amused look at the girl behind the counter as he accepted his own pair of skates. She giggled and tucked their shoes under the counter for safekeeping.

"Have fun!" she bade them before turning her attention to the lone woman approaching to return her skates.

They found seats near the rink where they could put their skates on - Sokka looked over the wall onto the ice before sitting down, pleased to see that it wasn't very busy. He hadn't expected it to be, that was why he had chosen today, but there were no guarantees.

He sat down beside his boyfriend and they both laced their skates on securely before heading onto the ice. Zuko went ahead of him, and drifted smoothly away from Sokka as soon as his skates touched the ice.

Sokka followed, but he moved only far enough to be out of the way of anyone else wanting on or off the ice, letting himself take a moment just to watch his boyfriend. He had been moving pretty easily, it seemed, and Sokka would. . .

Sokka frowned, pushing gracefully away from the wall with a long, easy glide. Zuko _had_ looked like he was moving easily on the ice, confidently pushing away from the gate, but now he almost looked like he was about to-

Sokka lunged and caught his boyfriend's hands quickly as he wobbled, dragging Zuko up and close to him. He misjudged - or maybe Zuko did because he looked _super_ uncharacteristically graceless and _what_ \- and Zuko fell into him, but Sokka set his skates and they drifted a little but stayed upright.

 _Not_ confidently, Sokka thought; _unintentionally_. He hadn't known what was happening, or possibly not how to stop it, as he drifted further out over the ice, which had to have been resurfaced fairly recently as most of it was still glassy smooth.

" _How_ can you not ice skate?" Sokka demanded once he had Zuko mainly upright again, boggling at that.

Zuko was blushing, and Sokka always thought it was adorable when he did, because he was _such_ a tough, broody guy - on the outside anyway - and then he did this . . . this stupidly cute blushy, shy, tiny-smile or nervous darting eyes thing and-

Sokka was getting distracted. It happened a lot when he was on dates with Zuko, but fortunately it seemed like his boyfriend was attracted to goofy, blank stares. Spirits knew why, but Sokka was grateful for it.

"I _told_ you I can't skate." Zuko said, frowning.

Sokka frowned back, gently pulling Zuko out of the way as a little girl dragged her guardian along with her, bent double and clumsy as she kept the kid upright. "You tell me you can't do things all the time to get out of doing them." he said defensively. "Or- I thought you were _deflecting_ , I didn't realise-" he broke off.

"Why would I try and get out of _ice skating_?" Zuko said, with an expression that said he would be smacking a hand over his face if he had one free. He was apparently a little too concerned with staying upright to try and pull either arm from Sokka's grip, though.

"I don't know!" Sokka protested. "You try and get out of _all kinds_ of fun things! Also you usually tell me you enjoyed it anyway when we get back, so I thought. . ."

He fell silent, sighing through his nose and looking down at the toes of his skates. Zuko's were there too, very close to his own and much less steady. He loved ice skating, but he wouldn't have dragged his boyfriend here if he'd _really_ thought Zuko would hate it.

Well, he might have, but not just for an everyday thing.

Zuko kissed one corner of his mouth lightly, and Sokka looked up, meeting his boyfriend's stunningly golden eyes. "I didn't say I couldn't have fun with you here, just that I can't skate." he said, clearing his throat. He was still blushing. "Plus, you know. I don't know how much fun it'll be for you. I really can't. This is about the best it gets." he said apologetically.

Sokka tried and failed to not find that cute. He kissed Zuko again. "If you're willing to skate with me, I promise I'll have fun just because of you being here with me." Sokka told him honestly, squeezing his hands. "Also I refuse to believe you _can't_ ice skate, even if you don't know how very well _now_."

Zuko frowned, and Sokka kissed it away, skating backwards and gently drawing his boyfriend along in his wake. "Oh, I believe what you're saying." he said, because wow, even if Zuko _would_ have lied about that - not likely - and was not a terrible liar - oh spirits, he was the _worst_ , it was hilarious and adorable - he was quantifiably bad just looking at his stiff uneasiness right now. " _But_ I know that you _can_ be good at this, babe, _you_ have just never learned how."

"If humans were designed to slide around on ice we'd look more like otter penguins. Or snowshoe foxes." Zuko said sullenly and Sokka laughed, shaking his head.

"Nothing," Sokka assured him when he looked up, startled, "I just- I really like you, Zu." he said fondly, squeezing Zuko's hands. "Come on, you're like, ten times more graceful than me," that might have stung to admit, but the hours of watching Zuko at his martial arts slash dancing slash _whatever_ practise and _drooling_ over him salved Sokka's pride nicely, "you can totally do this. We'll take it slow."

"If you say so." Zuko allowed dubiously, and then listened attentively as Sokka continued skating backwards, guiding them around the rink, and instructed Zuko in the proper balance and movements.

It was kind of. . .

Well, it was kind of super hot, Zuko looking at him like that and doing exactly as Sokka instructed - Zuko _learning_ from Sokka, and so willingly - and it was also kind of heady.

Sokka suddenly found himself trying to think of more things he could teach Zuko, and had to shove the prospective list out of his mind to focus on Zuko as he asked a question.

Zuko still wasn't the _best_ , but by the time they'd spent maybe an hour or two practicing, he could stay upright on his own and skate semi-smoothly. Sokka clasped one of Zuko's hands in his own and once they skated all the way around the rink together once, tugged his boyfriend into speeding up a little, keeping pace with him.

They made another few rounds together and Zuko's movements grew more confident as he didn't slip or even wobble too much. Still holding his hand, Sokka would have caught him if he did - and that clasp was offering Zuko a little extra stability, he knew - but he was proud of his boyfriend anyway.

Sokka's legs were starting to feel the strain of so long spent skating - especially so much skating backwards, with frequent stops and tiny adjustments, and moving around Zuko, instead of the smooth, economical movements he was able to use now. He didn't particularly care, and it wasn't a terribly unpleasant feeling, but he could definitely feel it - and if he could, then Zuko, who was not used to this kind of exercise at all, likely would be getting sore soon.

Even if Zuko was more fit than Sokka generally, which he had used to angst over a little but now mostly found incredibly wonderful because it meant Zuko was a fucking _feast_ for the eyes with all that perfectly defined, lean muscle.

Sokka swallowed and pushed the quite well-remembered image that brought to mind back _out_ , with difficulty.

"Want to take a break?" he asked, and Zuko nodded, huffing a little and lightly flushed.

Sokka smiled and disengaged their hands. "I'm gonna take another couple of laps to loosen up my muscles, you can try out what I've taught you and finish this one alone." he said, grinning.

Zuko looked wary, but agreed without really hesitating. He skated carefully forwards again, this time without Sokka's support - or the safety net of knowing he'd catch Zuko if he fell. He was clearly hyperaware of where his skates were and how he held his body, but he wasn't stiff and nervous any more and it was helping almost as much as knowing how to move, Sokka thought.

He had half a round of the rink before he reached the exit off the ice, but Sokka knew he'd be fine. Sokka watched him for a moment, then pushed off, skirting his boyfriend carefully and picking up speed.

He took one lap to fully get up to speed and to be sure he was ready, paying more attention to the other people on the ice - how many, how fast, how they moved - as he went. Then he pulled a few basic tricks, including twisting to skate backwards in long, smooth strokes instead of baby steps, a couple of small jumps, and some spiralling, curved patterns of twists and spins. He grinned and waggled his fingers at a little boy staring at him with wide, bright eyes as he sailed past. The boy grinned and waved back.

Sokka started cutting the turns closer and quicker, crouching and angling his skates against the ice so that he fairly shot around the corners into an even faster glide when he rose again.

Probably this wasn't a break, Sokka knew, probably they were really done for the day, but that was more than fine. They'd been at the rink for a couple of hours at least, and Zuko had not only willingly put himself in Sokka's hands to learn, he'd been smiling and laughing as he did. He might even agree to come back with a little less reluctance next time. Probable, Sokka thought. He grinned as he coasted up to the exit gate, caught the edge with one hand, and hopped lightly off the rink and out onto the carpeted floor.

Zuko was easy to find, sitting on a bench attached to a table not far from the rink.

He was watching Sokka, smiling slightly. There were two steaming cups sitting on the table behind him, too, Sokka noticed. He shifted, with a brief hitch, from the long smooth strokes he needed while skating to the high, slightly awkward steps required to walk in ice skates.

"You looked good." Zuko said, reaching up to Sokka as he came into reach. "I'm sorry I held you back." he added, frowning.

Sokka shook his head, grinning. "You didn't. I'm really happy you came with me." he said, clasping Zuko's hand. "Like I told you. You did have fun too, didn't you?" he asked, briefly concerned, though he _knew_ Zuko had.

Zuko laughed softly and tugged Sokka down into his lap, and he yelped as he toppled over. "I had fun." Zuko confirmed, one thigh shifting under Sokka to settle them more comfortably together, arms wrapping around his waist. "I always do," he added, kissing Sokka's cheek before settling his chin on Sokka's shoulder, "with you."

Sokka leaned into his boyfriend's arms, heart fluttering. It wasn't necessarily that he didn't _know_ Zuko liked him and enjoyed time they spent together, of course, but. . .

Zuko tugged him closer, arms tightening, and Sokka twisted enough to kiss him. But it was still something else to hear it, especially so openly from his sometimes reserved boyfriend's lips.

"Aren't I kind of heavy like this?" Sokka asked, nose still brushing Zuko's.

Zuko hummed, reaching up to cup Sokka's face. "You're fine." he said, clearly amused. "I got you hot chocolate." he added, tipping his head to indicate the cups behind him.

"You're such a good boyfriend." Sokka teased, rubbing his fingers over Zuko's cheek just below the scar, though he happily accepted the cup, cradling it under his nose. The steam still wafting off it warmed his chilled face nicely. He glanced at Zuko out of the corner of his eye, idly gauging if he could subtly 'forget' to get out of Zuko's lap.

Zuko - holding his own cup to his lips - certainly wasn't trying to dislodge him, or looking askance, and Sokka settled a little more and hummed contentedly into his cup, sipping the almost too-hot drink.

"You're the one who just spent hours babying me around on the ice." Zuko pointed out when he lowered his cup, his lips tilted and his cheeks slightly flushed. Probably not from the steam. Sokka smiled and snuggled into him, looping an arm around his shoulders. "Thanks for that."

"Thanks for coming with me." Sokka said happily, toying with the shaggy fringe falling around Zuko's scarred temple. "Let's go, after this, babe."

"Mm?" Zuko's eyebrow rose, his mouth again occupied by drinking his hot chocolate.

"Maybe watch a movie at my place?" Sokka suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

Zuko smiled as he lowered his cup. "Sure." His smile broadened and his eyes glinted with mischief. "Planning to get up, or are you happy here in my lap?" he asked.

Sokka flushed - he was a big, strong man, he didn't-

But Zuko had an arm curled around him tightly, holding him there, and Zuko _was_ teasing. And Sokka was too much a hedonist to give up something he enjoyed - although he preferred being the big spoon when they cuddled together, and Zuko happily curled into him - for something so silly as a perception that meant nothing anyway.

"Well I don't think you can carry me all the way home. . ." Sokka said rather than protest, then thought with some alarm that Zuko _might try_ , his boyfriend could be . . . both awkward and unfortunately literal at times. "But I am totally reclaiming your lap when we get there." He snuggled into his boyfriend pointedly.

"My lap remains at your disposal." Zuko said archly, and Sokka blushed at the implications his low, silky tone and the sharp, sly curve of his lips offered.

Not that _that_ didn't sound fun too. . .

* * *

I don't usually write modern AUs, or indeed any kind of AU that takes a fantasy setting and makes it less magical (I'm a fantasy girl, and magic/the supernatural is my wheelhouse; the contemporary modern world is very much not, and much harder for me to write) but, amazingly, this wasn't even a challenge or a request.

I just randomly had the image of Zuko slipping and nearly falling on the ice, only for Sokka to catch him and pull him into a hug to steady him, and had to write. (Perhaps I could have mangled it into a canon setting, but I like how this worked.)


End file.
